


A Kiss for Charity

by imincharge



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Clexa Week 2018, Clexa Week 2018 - Free Day, F/F, Free day, One Shot, based on what Charlize Theron did in real life, can i make it any more obvious, clarke is an actress, lexa is rich
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 16:23:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13861548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imincharge/pseuds/imincharge
Summary: a man almost got to kiss Clarke for charity but sapphic hero Lexa saved the day and outbid him





	A Kiss for Charity

**Author's Note:**

> two years and i still love how Lexa and Clarke love each other 
> 
> (based on what happened with Charlize Theron in real life)  
> https://twitter.com/dhxvernxs/status/951660419617243136

The second floor of the Fundraising Gala is a small, well-illuminated area where a few selected people are gathered. They talk to each other over the sound of soft jazz as waiters serve the best drinks someone could buy. Lexa Woods, the sole heir of the Grounders corporate empire, walks around shaking hands and laughing at bad golf jokes with ease. Sometimes she's even the one who makes said jokes, as she was trained to do. At this point in her life, it's instinctive. She raises her chin and shows her best smile, pretending to drink. Pretending to hear. Pretending that she wanted to be there.

As soon as Abby Griffin, the woman who's hosting the Gala, appears at the top of the stairs, Lexa spots her. Then Lexa turns to the old gentleman who has been talking about his trip to Dubai, pretends that she's sad that she won't hear the end of his story and excuses herself to go talk to Abby.

"Dr. Griffin, you look beautiful as always," Lexa greets Abby.

"Ms. Woods, kind as ever. You look gorgeous wearing this tuxedo."

"I'm glad you liked it," Lexa says. She's wearing just a black suit. It looks great on her, of course. It fits perfectly, it was tailored for her. And yet, this isn't more than superficial pleasantries. Lexa could be wearing a rag and Abby would have said the same thing. "But if you allow me to say so, Dr. Griffin, I miss seeing you with a braid. You looked so..."

"Young." Abby seems surprised that Lexa would remember something like this. "Unfortunately, it seems that I'm too old for that."

"I find it hard to believe."

Abby laughs and waves it off.

"I'm flattered. And also grateful for your generous donation."

"It's admirable what you're doing here. I'm actually-"

"Good evening, ladies." Titus appears out of nowhere between them. "I'm sorry to interrupt but I have urgent matters to discuss with Ms. Woods."

"She's all yours," Abby says, smiling at them.

Lexa smiles back at her and nods as Abby walks away, then turn her icy eyes to Titus.

"What are you doing, Titus?"

"What are you doing, Ms. Woods?"

"Please, don't Ms. Woods me right now." Lexa tries her best to contain her irritation. She knows he means well. He was the right hand of her mother, and he was the one who took care of Lexa and made sure everything was right when her parents passed away. So she tries again, using a more controlled tone, "What is the problem?"

"I saw you talking to Dr. Griffin. We already have talked about your weakness for humanitarian causes."

"I understand your worries, Titus, but they're meaningless. I was simply thanking Dr. Griffin for inviting us. Or isn't that what you've taught me?"

He looks at her, suspicion still in his eyes.

"And you are also aware that they are far below their goal," he says it slowly, more like a question than an affirmation.

"I've heard." Lexa drinks her wine, it's the first time she does it this night. "And I already made my donation according to what our counselors suggested."

Titus scans her steel face, searching for a brisk of vulnerability, any sign that at any given moment she'll run to donate a larger amount. It wouldn't be the first time Lexa did something like that but it would be the first in a really, really long time. She was young, and Lexa thought she would be different from her parents, using the money to actually make a difference. She was naive. Now she's just itching to go back to her private penthouse at the end of the day without having to deal with all the headache of explaining herself to counselors, investors, partners, press. Titus seems pleased with what he finds in her eyes and nods.

"It's only for a few more hours, Lexa. Correct your posture and go stand near Luna downstairs. All her peace talk will do good for your image."

"On my way."

For the rest of the evening, Lexa does what she's told. At the point that the blonde woman appears on the stage, Lexa finds herself sitting alone at one of the tables of the main area thinking if it's already an acceptable hour to go home. The woman instantaneously grabs her attention. Lexa knows her, everybody knows her. She's not only the daughter of Dr. Griffin, she's a Hollywood star.

Yes, she's a star. Describing Clarke Griffin just as an "actress" isn't enough. From pretentious Oscar films to action blockbusters, she has made a name for herself. She's younger than most of the people in the room. Hell, she's younger than Lexa and Lexa is one of the youngest people in the room (which Lexa only knows because they were both featured on the same 30 Under 30 Forbes' list). And her age doesn't mean anything. Her presence commands silence. The moment Clarke Griffin steps onto the stage, all eyes are on her.

She's in a room filled with a crowd of rich people. They're all trained and groomed in the art of dominance, their smooth skins and perfect hairs carefully tended by the best professionals in the world. And yet, when Clarke Griffin starts talking, they become nothing but shadows. Lexa has never seen someone so comfortable in her own skin, and she has met people that have master's degrees on it.

"Goodnight, goodnight," Clarke says and pauses for the wave of applause before it even starts. The crowd obliges, doing just what she wants. "As you know, we're here tonight to raise money for the HousesOnTheGround effort, which will give housing and much-needed support to hundreds of refugees affected by the crisis." People applaud even more as if she was a hero to be worshipped. Lexa sees herself standing just like everybody else. Clarke continues, "Wow, I'm loving this passion," she says. "But come on, people, we're still far off from our goal. For fuck's sake, you can do better!"

As the crowd laughs and applauds, Lexa smiles thinking about the heart attack Titus just had for seeing someone use a microphone to say "fuck" at a Gala. This the very reason he made sure Lexa would away stay away from artists.

"So here's the deal," Clarke says, "I'm going to kiss the highest bidder for 7 seconds. That's right, a kiss on the mouth. A real kiss." Her last words aren't even audible because of the wave of screams, and cheers, and whistles. People are already screaming how much money they'll pay.

Clarke sends a kiss to the crowd and then hands the mic to Octavia, the woman who has been taking care the donations all night, so they can officially start the bidding.

One man raises his hand, then another, and another. Soon it turns into a game, one trying to bid higher than the other. The crowd around cheers and instigates. Lexa notices that only men are playing, some even with their wives by their side.

Lexa thinks about how it would be to kiss Clarke Griffin. No. She sits straighter and accepts anything the first waiter she finds offers. Of course, she'd like to kiss her. Kissing girls is one of the things that Lexa pleasantly would like to do. But she'd like to do it in another circumstance.

Maybe if they were other people. If they met at a bookstore or a park while they're walking their dogs. They'd be just normal people, standing on the sidewalk at night before goodbye, sharing a shy kiss. Just the two of them. Without a paparazzi, a fan, a butler, the chauffeur, or a crowd watching their every movement. If things were like this, then, maybe, it would be nice to kiss Clarke.

Lexa's thoughts are interrupted when Clarke returns to the stage and announces that now the kiss will be 20 seconds long. The crowd loses control and a new wave of eager screams starts the second round of bidding. As it goes on, fewer and fewer people continue in the game. They look more at each other them to Clarke. Every time that it looks like one of them will win, the person receives pats on the shoulder and their friends explode in cheers.

Before Clarke appeared offering to kiss someone, the donations were at 30,000. Now it's passing 100,000. The idea was a success. Lexa looks at the stage hoping to find a vibrant Clarke Griffin, that's when she realizes that this is not a victory at all. While all the lights were on the men competing, the stage-ready smile disappeared from the actress's face. Lexa feels a bit ashamed for having been caught in the heat of the game.

"110,000!!" Someone screams and, for the first time, it sounds like the voice of a girl.

Lexa turns to find at the table next to her the genius engineer Raven Reyes, which Lexa also recognizes from the 30 Under 30 Forbes' list. Lexa can help but feel excited about this. It's not every day that you find gay people near you. And the idea that a woman will win after this horror show happening? Intoxicating. For the first time, Lexa genuinely cheers.

After the applauses die and the silence takes over as everybody wait for another proposal, Lexa hears whispers coming from the other table.

"Are you crazy?" The boy sitting next to Raven says. "You don't have that money."

"Relax, I know what I'm doing," Raven says. "Look at douchebag number 2 there, he's anxious to prove himself to his friends, he'll make another offer."

And as she says it, douchebag number 2 indeed raises his hand and offers 115,000.

"Told ya," Raven says, then clinks her glass with her friend and drinks. After finishing, she adjusts her position in the chair and looks at the boy, "Look, here's the deal: I can't pay but I'll support Clarke in any way I can. She has been working on this for months, it's her passion project."

"But what are you going to do if nobody offers more than you?"

Raven sends him a look, finishes her drink and raises her hand again.

"Is that all you can do? I can't believe y'all need a woman to do your job even here," Raven screams, then turns to Octavia. "130,000!"

Lexa had never imagined that Clarke Griffin, the Hollywood star, would have such a loyal friendship with Raven Reyes, the genius engineer. Until now all Lexa ever knew was that Clarke was all beautiful and blazing, as attractive as the sun, and these small bits of information were shaping the contours of a new person on her mind. Someone Lexa would like to know.

They watch as two men fight to see who will offer more, Raven turned this into a matter of pride for them. She joins one time or another and leaves the guys to do the rest.

"That's it," Raven says after a while when one of them offers 180,000. "It stalled, it'll get to 200,000 if she's lucky, but not much more."

And as every time, she's right.

Octavia asks if anyone has a higher offer and nobody answers. The other man sits down, accepting his defeat and even raises his glass to the other when the counting starts.

10.

9.

Clarke prepares herself on the stage. The smile is already back, she looks like she's having the time of her life. She's such a good actress.

8.

7.

She'll have to kiss that man. He's already making a victory dance.

6.

5.

One time, Lexa spent 379,000 in one day. It was a really good day.

4.

Titus would die.

3.

That's actually not an entirely bad outcome.

2.

Okay, back to Earth, Lexa.

1.

It's your last chance.

She doesn't say anything.

There's something about a lost opportunity that makes you realize how much you wanted it. It turns your blood into ice and the air sticks in your throat. Later that night Lexa would have no memory of raising her hand and saying, "250,000."

The crowd turns to see who is talking. The silence is so complete that she hears a chair being pushed back a few tables behind, but she doesn't hear steps. She knows it's too late for Titus to do anything. He wouldn't risk a scandal. "Mystery brunette placed the winning bid" is a far better headline than "Heir Lexa Woods steps back on donation to charity." The press will have a hell of a night with him on their backs.

"We have a winner," Octavia announces and the crowd explodes. It's a deafening noise.

The roars surround Lexa as she walks to the stage. She wants to say the kiss isn't needed but before she can make her way there Octavia disappears and she's left with Clarke Griffin herself.

"It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Griffin." Lexa offers her hand and Clarke accepts it, smiling at her.

"No need for formalities, we're going to kiss."

"No," Lexa says, holding her hand firmly. "There's no need. I was simply doing what I should have done before."

All eyes are on them, waiting for it. The atmosphere of excitement fills the room all the way to the back. And yet, when Clarke looks at Lexa now, she's only seeing the woman in front of her, in a way that makes Lexa feel like they are alone.

They are here but it could be a desert sidewalk at night. Houses lining up in a row at both sides. Maybe there's a dog barking... Somewhere far, far away from them.

"I want to," Clarke says. "I mean, I have to because I said I would. But you know what?" She grabs Lexa's hand, bringing her close. "Maybe something good can come out of this."

"Maybe," Lexa says. She notices that Clarke has a dot near her upper lip, it's a small thing Lexa never noticed before, probably covered up by makeup in her movies. Lexa finds it adorable. And she would very much like to kiss it. She forces herself to look up to her eyes again, instead, "But I still have one last question."

"Yes?"

"Is this a first or a last kiss?"

Lexa feels Clarke's hands wrapping around her arms, and her smile when their lips touch.

**Author's Note:**

> so this is it! happy clexa week. I also posted Drive! for the first the day. And soon I'll come back with another one, this time a multiple chapters fic. Finally.


End file.
